Rock 'N' Rack

Long before the Palm Springs Art Museum existed, the vast desert landscape of the surrounding areas was peppered with desert locks and softscape. Over the years, some of the rocks remain as the world around them has evolved and changed. I would love to be able to incorporate natural desert rocks into a public landscape and allow them to serve a purpose for the Palm Springs community. By transforming a large rock into a bike rack, I believe aesthetically my design will be able to pay homage to the natural landscape of Palm Springs, reminding citizens daily of the coexistence of natural environments and developmental progress.
In reality, the rock will have to be selected from a rural location within Riverside County. Some assistance in the process of obtaining and transporting the rock would more than likely be necessary from the City of Palm Springs. The dimensions of the desired sandstone rock are approximately 13 feet long by 3 feet wide by 4.5 feet high. Using a rock chisel and hammer, 4 arched slots carved into the rock will hold the back wheels of the parked bikes. Furthermore, the slots are 2.5 inches wide, 28 inches high, and 15 inches deep. Each slot is 2.5 feet apart, and the outer two are approximately 2 feet from the edge. U-shaped bent .75 inch diameter steel rods welded to flat 1 inch by 3 inch rectangular pieces of steel are bolted to the rock, providing fixtures to lock and secure the bicycle frame. Two bent rods are attached on each side of the slots, starting 10 inches of the ground and stretching 7 inches higher. By allowing the steel to oxidize, the resulting rusted rods aesthetically match the natural color palate of the rock and landscape. Finally, the underside of the rock is cemented to existing hardscape. Maintenance for this bicycle rack is limited to cleaning debris out of the slots and maintaining the tightness of bolts.